CHAPTER 32
~Luke~
11:46 A.M.
Jane bolts upright. “Today’s the day.”
She was sleeping one minute and the next she was wide-awake from her nap. My heart is racing, startled by her. “Today?”
“Today is our wedding day.”
“It is. We’ll be in Vegas soon.”
She looks over at me and pokes me in the abs. Her smile brightening the morning like it does my life. “Hit the gas, Granny. I need time to shop.”
“I thought you agreed to no dress?” I pretend pout. Naked sounded perfect to me.
“I’m a woman. I need a dress. The perfect dress, so stop wasting time. Giddy up, cowboy. Time to hit the trail.”
She’s too damn cute to resist. “I love you. You know that?”
Through a fit of giggles, she says, “I love you, Luke Anders. I always have and I always will. Today is our day.”
“I owe you a ring.”
“Make it big.”
Bringing her hand to my hardening cock, I say, “I always do,” not referring to jewelry at all.
“And just like that—you proved it’s not just bigger in Texas, but in Arizona too.”
Giving her my flirtiest wink, I ask, “How about we test it in Nevada?”
* * *
THE SUN IS setting. The garden is filled with blooming flowers. Nothing is natural in this oasis in the desert, but surrounded by the plants and being secluded, I almost forgot we’re in Vegas.
Standing here, I’m not nervous.
I’m ready.
I’m pretty sure I’ve waited for this my whole life, despite the lapse in judgment I once showed.
Soft music begins to play and the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen—Jane Lewis, my soon-to-be wife—walking straight to me. Her white dress flows gently behind her, her hair loose with a halo of pale pink flowers taming the top of her wild blond hair.
Twenty feet until contact…
Ethereal.
My sweet angel.
“You’re a very lucky man, Mr. Anders.”
Fifteen feet until contact…
The girl has become a woman and the only one I want to spend my life with. “I am. The luckiest.”
Contact…
When she reaches me, she smiles, but there’s something more in her eyes—an inner peace that comes with comfort. “Hi.”
“Hello, beautiful.”
The Justice says something, but I can’t seem to take my attention away from Jane to listen. Words of love linger around us and I watch as her eyes move from him to me. The lightest of pink colors her cheeks, and I smile. Mission accomplished.
She nudges me and I can tell she hates all the attention I’m giving her.
“Luke,” the Justice says, “you may share your vows.”
Taking Jane’s hands in mine, I speak, my heart attaching to hers, to reside ever more. “It was always going to be us. You were my past, you are my present, you will be my future. Jane, you are light when life is dark. You are my smooth night when my day has been rough. You are the first girl I ever loved and the last woman I ever will. You are beauty to me always, and always I vow to be your light, your smooth, and your everything to make life beautiful. I will love you for the rest of my life and if we’re granted more time together, I will love you longer.”
I place the ring I gave her years earlier back on her hand.
The Justice looks to Jane and says, “Jane?”
She glances down, the moment seeming to overwhelm her. I squeeze her hand just enough to remind her she’s not alone. Never alone again. Bringing her hand to my mouth, I kiss it, causing her to look into my eyes. A soft smile appears, and she says, “Your courage brought us together. Your strength kept our hearts bonded even when we were apart. Your faith believed when there seemed to be none. You, Luke Anders, were brave for us both. I’m honored to be here today, fortunate to be facing the only man I’ve ever loved, and grateful I get to wake up to you every day of forever. I love you, Luke. I always have and I always will.”
“Well, let’s not waste any time. By the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The Justice nods his head toward Jane. “Go on, son. Kiss your wife.”
With one hand on her lower back and one on her neck, I bring her closer and kiss her. I’d normally censor myself, but not today. Not ever with her. She deserves all my love and to feel every ounce of passion I have for her.
When our lips part, we both inhale, and then smile. Our foreheads are pressed together, and I whisper, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Come on, I want to go love on you in private.”
She giggles as we walk back to the wedding office. The coordinator has us sign the certificate, and escorts us to the private elevators.
No gawkers.
Nobody intrudes on the first few minutes of our life together as husband and wife. I’d give her the world if I could, but even more, I’ll spend every dollar I have to make her happy. Jane’s eyes go wide and her smile grows when the doors open into the suite.
“Luke, it’s beautiful. I can only imagine how much you spent.”
“I may be homeless but I’m not broke. Anyway, I love your smile.”
She lifts up and kisses me on the cheek. “You’ll see it because I get to wake up to you every morning for the rest of our lives.”
It’s funny how things change… how we change as we reach different stages of our lives. The phrase “rest of our lives” scared me before. It sat unsettled in my stomach a few years back. But then I got a large dose of what life was without this gorgeous blonde standing in front of the windows overlooking the Las Vegas Strip and that scared me more.
She turns around. “You can see almost the entire strip from here.” A look centers in her eyes and her lids grow heavy. Leaning against the glass, she licks her lips. “I want you to make love to me.”
“Happily.”
“Then I want to do dirty things against this window.”
My smirk slides into place, and I chuckle. “Your request is my command, my beautiful wife.” Fuck, I love saying that.
* * *
“LIE ON ME.”
I chuckle, and move on top of her. “Tell me if I’m too heavy.”
“I like your weight on me.” She breathes out harder than I like, but I remain. “You comfort me.”
Balancing some of my weight on my forearms so she doesn’t notice, I kiss her.
“There’s this line in the movie that speaks of being sex drunk. I understand what that means now.”
“You wrote the lines,” I point out. “You didn’t understand it before?”
“Not like this.”
“Tell me what it’s like.”
“It’s deep, engrained in my muscles and bones. A feeling that encompasses so much happiness that it can’t be explained in simpler terms.”
“It’s euphoric and enrapturing.”
“Exhilarating and pure bliss. I never want to forget this feeling.”
I kiss a line down the center of her chest and even lower. “I’ll never let you.” And then I go farther, my lips finding that special place that will turn euphoria into orgasmic.
* * *
I’M TEMPTED TO smoke, and I’ve never smoked. Sitting in the plush chair by the window, I have all of Vegas outside lighting up the night sky. But I can’t keep my eyes off the sleeping beauty in front of me.
Jane’s hair spans the pillow, covering it. The crown of pink flowers she wore to get married is off to the side. She debated sleeping with it on, loving it so much. I gravitate toward her bare skin under the scent of floral, unable to resist my bride.
She sleeps so soundly and I find pride in the fact that I’ve worn her out. I’m glad she’s able to rest since I don’t know what tomorrow holds. So much weighs on this meeting with Jessica. Looking at my angel sleeping I can easily admit that I don’t want to lose this, this innocence that fills this suite, the trust that fills her smile when she looks at me.
I sit down, the bed dipping, but she doesn’t stir. I touch her cheek and run the tip of my finger over her bottom lip. I nearly lost my heart, but now she’s mine forever. “I will spend every day loving you,” I whisper, then place one more kiss to her forehead before climbing in behind her and holding her to me.